Scenario    You are a potential visitor to Ireland and Dingle is a place you have heard about. What does your online research tell you about the area, what to do, experiences you can have, what would make it attractive for you as a potential visitor.  Objectives   What do people say about Dingle i.e. past visitors through blogs, forums, social media?   To say that Dingle is adored by travel writers, tourists, and locals is an understatement. It’s difficult to convey the love and longing people have for this magical place, its friendly people, fantastic food, quirky haunts, world-renowned trad music scene, stunning natural beauty, and truly ancient archaeological sites.  Once the edge of the known world, the storybook village of Dingle Town is auspiciously out-of-time in our post-industrial, digital age. The narrow streets are better suited to pedestrians and bicycles than they are cars. The town’s many pubs tout live music and banter over pints rather than the latest and greatest in audio/visual equipment and free WiFi (though I’m sure most have free WiFi).   Locally-sourced food, free-range chickens, grass-fed beef & sheep, raw milk, and organic produce are not emerging trends for the people of Dingle. They are business as usual and have been common practice here for centuries. Scores of vaunted Dingle restaurants serve the freshest, highest-quality food because they can’t imagine serving anything else.  Key brand associations with Dingle? 

 Word Cloud based on #Dingle posts to Instagram and Twitter between March 1 and October 31 2017. 

   

What commentary / imagery do visitors share through social media?  

 https://shar.es/1NK3UT 

 Data compiled from Dingle related images shared through Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook between June 1 and September 30 2017. 

It’s no surprise that Dingle’s sights dominate shared imagery and commentary on social media. The region’s incredible natural beauty coupled with its rich, ancient history provide an ideal setting for just about any adventure.  Dingle’s many festivals and activities feature prominently in social media posts, as do the area’s wildlife and livestock. Interestingly, Dingle’s music scene beats out its pub and foodie scene, at least where social media imagery and commentary is concerned.  Below is a breakdown of the types of imagery and subject of commentary shared on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook between June 1 and September 30 2017.  

Sights - 50.8%  Landscape / Hills  18.6% 

Seascape  17.3% 

Beach  10.5% 

Cliffs  8.2% 

Dingle Harbor / Marina / Pier  7.3% 

Flowers  6.4% 

Slea Head  5.9% 

Conor Pass / Waterfall  4.5% 

Gallarus Oratory  2.7% 

Dunquin Harbour  2.7% 

Ocean World Aquarium  2.3% 

Ballydavid  1.8% 

Fahan Beehive Huts  1.8% 

Blasket Islands  1.8% 

Dingle Town  1.4% 

Kilmalkedar Church / Graveyard  1.4% 

Garden  1.4% 

Ballyferriter  1.0% 

An Díseart  1.0% 

Three Sisters  1.0% 

Lighthouse  1.0% 

 

Activities / Festivals - 14.5%  Dingle Food Festival  14.3% 

Boat Trip / Tour  12.7% 

Fishing  7.9% 

Hiking  7.9% 

Road Trip  6.3% 

Cycling  6.3% 

Dingle Tradfest  4.8% 

Dingle Races / Derby  4.8% 

Dingle Half Marathon  4.8% 

Rugby  4.8% 

Shopping  4.8% 

Golfing  4.8% 

Dingle Marathon  4.2% 

Biking  3.2% 

Animation Dingle Festival  1.5% 

Sailing  1.5% 

Festival of the Potato  1.5% 

Paddle Boarding  1.4% 

Horseback Riding  1.4% 

Kayaking  1.1% 

 

  

 Animals - 11.5%  

Fungie the Dolphin  26% 

Sheep  20% 

Donkeys  10% 

Dogs  8% 

Horses / Ponies  8% 

Seagulls  8% 

Goat  6% 

Cows  4% 

Otter  2% 

Sharks  2% 

Seals  2% 

Minke Whale  2% 

Jellyfish  2% 

 

 Music - 9.2%  

Traditional Irish Music / Dance  37.5% 

Dingle Tradfest  15% 

The Dingle Pub  12.5% 

The Dingle Whiskey Bar  10% 

Mighty Courthouse Session  5% 

Dick Mack's  2.5% 

An Droichead Beag  2.5% 

O'Flaherty's Bar  2.5% 

Milltown House  2.5% 

Foxy John's  2.5% 

Geaney's Bar  2.5% 

Dingle Music Shop  2.5% 

McCarthy's Bar  2.5% 

 

 Drink / Pubs - 8.8%  

Dingle Distillery / Whisky / Gin  21% 

Dick Mack's  13.2% 

O'Sullivan's Courthouse Pub  13.2% 

Guinness  10.5% 

Murphy's  7.9% 

Curran’s Pub  5.3% 

McCarthy's Bar  5.3% 

An Droichead Beag  5.3% 

Kennedy's  2.7% 

Foxy John's  2.6% 

Quinn's Pub  2.6% 

O'Connor's Bar & Guesthouse  2.6% 

Paddy Bawn Brosnan's Bar  2.6% 

Paul Geaney's  2.6% 

The Dingle Pub  2.6% 

 

 Food / Restaurants - 5.1%  Ceann Sibeal Hotel  13.6% 

O'Connor's Bar & Guesthouse  13.6% 

Fish and Chips  13.3% 

Murphy's Ice Cream  9.5% 

Lord Baker's Restaurant  9.0% 

The Marina Inn  5.0% 

Danno's Restaurant and Bar  4.5% 

Cork Billy  4.5% 

Fenton's of Dingle  4.5% 

Nik's Teas  4.5% 

An Cafe Liteartha  4.5% 

Crinkle  4.5% 

Oysters  4.5% 

Cheese  4.5% 

  

     

What experiences do visitors share online about their holidays? What do visitors highlight or recommend for other visitors? Food/dining/drink experiences?   Pubs 

 Dingle is a pub town and with over 50 pubs to serve a permanent population of less than 2,000, Dingle is quite possibly the pub town in a country and culture where the pub is an institution.   Even native Irish make the pilgrimage to Dingle pubs to enjoy a pint or two or three at a bar … the way bars used to be. A majority of social media mentions reflect any length visit to Dingle Town likely includes a stop in at a pub.   Below are the most popular/suggested pubs ranked according to mentions on Instagram and Twitter between March and October 2017.  

     

#1 - Dick Mack’s  Extensive selection of whiskey, rain boots, and craft leather goods. 

#2 - Foxy John’s  Half Irish pub. Half hardware store. Because, why not? 

#3 - O’Sullivan’s Courthouse Pub  Traditional Irish music and Texas bar-b-que, all under a low ceiling. 

 

     

#4 - Curran's  No fancy stuff. Just great people and great pints. Locals hotspot. 

#5 - O’Flaherty’s  Trad mecca. Real-as-it-gets Irish music, language, and culture. 

#6 - Marina Pub  Good bar food. Good music. Hit-or-miss service. 

 Other Mentions: John Benny's Pub Dingle, Kennedy's, Paddy Bawn, The Mighty Session, Hannie Agnes, An Droichead Beag/The Small Bridge, The Dingle Pub, McCarthy’s Bar, Haberdashery on Green Street.  

 Restaurants 

 Long gone are the days when Dingle had 52 pubs but lacked a single restaurant at which to enjoy a proper meal. Today, with over three-dozen restaurants to choose from, Dingle is a foodie mecca.  In fact, Dingle puts on one of the largest food festivals in Ireland to showcase the culinary artistry of local chefs and the area’s phenomenal selection of surf, turf, and produce. Locals lovingly call it, “The Best Weekend of the Year.”   Below are the most popular/suggested restaurants ranked according to mentions on Instagram and Twitter between March and October 2017.  

     

#1 - Murphy's  Relaxed atmosphere. Good pub food and great service with a pint. 

#2 - Out of the Blue  Eats so fresh that if the day’s catch was less than stellar, it’s closed. 

#3 - Doyle’s  A visit to Dingle is not complete without a stop in at Doyle’s. 

 

     

#4 - Global Village  Food so gorgeous you almost feel guilty eating it. 

#5 - The Chart House  Fantastic Irish fusion food and hospitality in an intimate setting. 

#6 - The Boatyard Restaurant  Idyllic views of the harbor in a classy but relaxed setting. 

 Other Mentions: Lord Baker’s Restaurant, Geaney’s Bar & Restaurant, Half Door, Idás, Ashe's, Dingle Diner, Grey’s Lane Bistro, An Canteen Restaurant, The Blue Zone, Fentons of Dingle, Crinkle.     

 Sights 

 The food, pubs, and people of Dingle are tough to top but I’m confident even the locals would agree the best this extraordinary place has to offer isn’t found in a pub, on a plate, at the bottom of a good pint, or sitting on the barstool next to you.   Instead, they would give credit where credit is truly due - to an incredible, almost surreal landscape seemingly untouched and unspoiled by the passage of time and to the ancient people that believed this place as magical 6,000 years ago as locals and visitors do today.   Below are the most popular/suggested sights ranked according to mentions on Instagram and Twitter between March and October 2017.  

     

#1 - Slea Head Drive  Offers breathtaking views of the western end of Dingle peninsula. 

#2 - Great Blasket Island  Once home to a thriving fishing community at the edge of Europe. 

#3 - Dún Beag Fort  Iron-age stone fort used from 800 BC through the 10th century AD. 

 

     

#4 - Conor Pass  Located on the R560, among the highest Irish mountain passes. 

#5 - Dunquin  Gaeltacht village at the most westerly tip of Dingle Peninsula.  

#6 - Inch beach  Beautiful beach located between Dingle and Castlemaine Harbours. 

Other Mentions: Dingle Distillery, Oratory of Gallarus, Ballydavid, Beál Bán beach, Gallarus Castle, Dingle Brewery, Brandon Point, Annascaul Lake, Dingle Bay Hotel, St James Church, Muckross Abbey, Muckross House and Gardens, Torc Waterfall, The Meeting of the Waters, Eagles Nest, Derrycunnihy, Ladies View, Lough Looscaunagh, Eask Tower, Dingle Lighthouse, Inis Tuisceart.  

 What do locals recommend visitors do in and around Dingle?  

     

#1 - Slea Head Drive  Locals suggest renting a bike or car to take in sights along Slea Head Drive. 

#2 - Dingle Distillery  Locals swear by Dingle Whiskey and Gin. Said to be hangover free. 

#3 - Murphy’s  Locals recommend Murphy’s for a quick bite and a pint. 

 Other Local Favorites: Geaney’s Bar & Restaurant, Fentons of Dingle, Half Door, Beál Bán beach, Dún Beag Fort, Oratory of Gallarus, Dunquin  What are the main marketing or product messages about Dingle? What are the main brand associations with Dingle based on social media commentary?   Tourism Ireland campaigns for Star Wars and Game of Thrones reached 224 million people around the world in 2016, amounting to more than € 40 million euro in advertising and publicity for Ireland, County Kerry, and Dingle.   With the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi in December 2017, Tourism Ireland launched a targeted campaign in a dozen markets globally to attract visitors to the area.  The campaign’s main marketing and product messaging showcase the isolated (but accessible) natural beauty to be discovered and incredible archaeological sites to be explored in southwest Ireland. The exceptional warmth and hospitality of the people of Ireland, County Kerry, and Dingle are also key takeaways.  The often-noted storybook/fairytale vibe of the place is echoed through the campaign’s messaging, which fits well with both Disney and Star Wars brands. The campaign succeeds in projecting an air of approachable, age-old mystery and wisdom and does well to position the region as an ideal starting point for an epic adventure.   This brand messaging successfully reverberates through social media and the blogosphere. Though I can’t speak to the campaign’s ability to penetrate and convert its target, it’s clear from my research that this messaging rings true and that Dingle is a topic of conversation for many. Negative commentary was nearly non-existent and generally had to do with roads being too narrow or pubs being too crowded.     

Regarding blog, message board, and forum posts, Dingle is a close second to Dublin and slightly ahead of Cork. The neighboring cities and towns of Galway, Limerick, Killarney, and Tralee trail Dingle significantly.  

 Total Posts 

Posts Per Day 

Ireland  1026152  78935 

Dingle  218127  16779 

Dublin  247512  19039 

Cork  192098  14777 

Galway  45919  3532 

Limerick  32246  2480 

Killarney  11529  888 

Tralee  3011  232 

  

   

   

   

 Graphs compiled from aggregate data on blog, message board, and forum posts between January 2017 and January 2018 measured by boardreader.   

Tagged posts to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter often include the #dingle and/or #dinglepeninsula tags. Another common tag is #wildatlanticway. Twitter analytics for @dinglepenninsula and @wildathlanticway are provided below. Unfortunately, @dingle is private and so an in depth analysis of #dingle could not be done.    

@dinglepenninsula  

 

  

@wildatlanticway  

 

 

   

Conclusions – what sort of area is it, what are its attractors, how appealing is it compared to other options in Ireland?  Admittedly, I had not heard of Dingle. I had heard of Skellig Michael, the island where scenes from The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi were shot. Embarrassingly, I could not locate this or any other place (aside from Dublin) on an unlabeled map of Ireland. In short, I didn’t know what I didn’t know.  My impression of Dingle is that it is a national treasure of sorts. The Irish tend to romanticize the place - and they should. It sounds almost too good to be true. A stunningly beautiful place that’s off the beaten path, removed enough from the world to have developed an authentically quirky, distinctly Irish, deeply relatable human character about it. To visit Dingle is not to escape from the world nearly so much as it is to remind yourself of what’s best about the world.  The sea and the landscape it has sculpted is both beautiful and harsh, a reminder of nature’s power and duplicity. Lush, rolling hills that were once barren and thousands of ancient sites dotted up and down the peninsula exemplify the ingenuity and perseverance of our ancestors. The warm, welcoming ways of Dingle’s people promote a sense of belonging and of home to even the most anxious and weary travelers.  Dingle seems to attract an interestingly peculiar type of person. Superficially, Dingle lovers don’t appear to have much in common with one another. There’s something I can’t quite put my finger on. Perhaps that’s the identifier - those that adore Dingle see a good deal of themselves in it. Like Dingle, they cannot be easily read, quickly categorized, and promptly put into a box. I am of that type myself and can say, I intend to make my way to Dingle someday.      

Itinerary  Below are 3, 5, and 10-day itineraries based on the above research.  

    3-day  5-day  10-day 

  Lodging  Murphy's Pub and B&B  Dingle Marina Lodge  Dingle Bay Hotel 

  Travel  Rent a car  Rent a car  Rent a car 

1 

Lunch  Murphy's Pub  Doyle’s  Doyle’s 

Event Dingle Distillery / Dingle Brewery 

Dingle Distillery / Dingle Brewery 

Dingle Distillery / Dingle Brewery 

Dinner  Doyle’s  Murphy's Pub  Murphy's Pub 

2 

Breakfast  My Boy Blue  My Boy Blue  My Boy Blue 

Event  Drive/Bike Slea Head Drive  Drive/Bike Slea Head Drive  Drive/Bike Slea Head Drive* 

Dinner  The Chart House  Out of the Blue  Out of the Blue 

3 

Breakfast  Grey's Lane Bistro  Fish at the Marina  Fish at the Marina 

Event  Sciuird Archaeological Tours  Dingle Dolphin Boat Tour  Dingle Dolphin Boat Tour 

Dinner  In Dublin Pub Crawl / Boatyard Restaurant 

Pub Crawl / Boatyard Restaurant 

4 

Breakfast    Grey's Lane Bistro  Dingle Bay Hotel 

Event    Sciuird Archaeological Tours  Minard Castle / Inch Beach 

Dinner    The Chart House  Lord Baker's Restaurant 

5 

Breakfast    Pax Guest House  Coastguard Restaurant 

Event    Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium  Great Blasket Island Boat Tour** 

Dinner    In Dublin  Global Village 

6 

Breakfast      An Cafe Liteartha 

Event      Road Trip Conor Pass / Brandon 

Dinner      Half Door 

7 

Breakfast      Murphy's Pub 

Event      Free day / Pub Crawl 

Dinner      Dingle Diner 

8 

Breakfast      Heatons Guesthouse 

Event     Oratory of Gallarus / Wine Strand 

Dinner      Fenton's of Dingle 

9 

Breakfast      Grey's Lane Bistro 

Event      Sciuird Archaeological Tours 

Dinner      The Chart House 

10 

Breakfast      Pax Guest House 

Event      Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium 

Lunch      In Dublin 

 *Dingle Bikes ** Dingle Boat Tours